J.Crew’s New Jeans

The latest addition to J. Crew’s curated “In Good Company” collection comes from Goldsign, the Los Angeles jeans brand founded by the denim industry’s designer-guru Adriano Goldschmied. The item: a classic five-pocket called Jenny made of selvage denim that is “in between a sexy jean and a boyfriend jean,” Goldschmied says. Available in two washes — a dark vintage and a lighter shade with a green cast — the one-year-old style was originally inspired by a pair worn by Norma Jeane Baker in photographs taken by André de Dienes in the 1940s. Just like those jeans, the Jenny has a straight side seam, a high waist and a cuff (that’s easy to undo, as shown here). “Back then women were buying men’s jeans and rolling them up,” Goldschmied explains. “I was in some way a little bit tired of the skinny that was born in L.A. and that’s been very successful. I was looking for what’s next. My way of designing is about starting from something that’s part of a tradition and not just replicating it but innovating through fabric, fit and wash.” It’s a lot like what J. Crew does with American classics like striped tees and khakis: it twists and turns them through styling into more forward-thinking fashion. “J. Crew and I have a lot of things in common,” Goldschmied acknowledges.